Associate Professor Shanna Benjamin writes about diversity in depictions of adoptive families on television

When I learned that the Peabody Award-winning show, "Doc McStuffins," would be kicking off a series of episodes revolving around adoption, I was overjoyed. As a black adoptive parent, opportunities to connect with other black adoptive families are few and far between, so I was delighted to see my family reflected in an animated series that mirrors my children's reality and normalizes black people as adoptive parents. In an age where popular media would have you believe that all adoptive parents are white, this new series reminds viewers that many of us are black.

"Doc McStuffins" follows the adventures of Dottie "Doc" McStuffins, a 6-year-old who expresses her black girl magic by tweaking her stethoscope, animating her stuffed animals and toys, and fixing what ails them. One day, her parents, Dr. and Mr. McStuffins, call Doc and her little brother Donny together to make an announcement: a baby is on the way! But this new baby isn't in Mommy McStuffins' tummy like Donny and Doc were. The family is adopting a baby, which means, Doc's mother explains, "our new little one will come from another mom."